Optical distributors are known from the field of optical information technology, in particular as so-called fiber-optic power splitters that apportion radiant power from an input fiber to a plurality of output fibers. A disadvantage with such fiber-optic power splitters is, in particular, the fact that the radiant power delivered to the output fibers is usually orders of magnitude lower than the radiant power present in the input fiber.
In addition to such fiber-optic power splitters, which usually have a discrete construction, distributed coupler structures are also known, in which apportioning of the radiant power from the input fiber to the output fibers is accomplished over a more or less physically extended region.
In addition to these basic types of optical power splitters or distributors, further coupler structures are also known from optical information technology, for example polished fiber couplers, melt couplers, and the like.
All these known couplers or optical distributors have a relatively complex construction, entail correspondingly high production costs, and moreover are unsuitable for use in the motor vehicle sector or in other operating environments with particularly difficult environmental conditions such as, for example, vibration, large temperature fluctuations, and the like.